A Big Gesture
by LaughingLadybug
Summary: Henry and Grace aren't exactly on the best of terms. He goes to his father for help but doesn't follow through. After months of arguing and hurt, she leaves him with these words. "Henry. We were meant to be. We just weren't meant to last. We're just lessons for each other." Will Henry finally take his father's advice to win Grace back? One-Shot


"Dad, can you help me," Henry asked his father one night at the dinner table while Emma was up stairs washing the flour out of her hair. Yeah…baking rolls did not go well for her. Back to Neal and Henry.

"Anything, bud, but I can't do math, that's your mom's department," Neal replied in between bites of spaghetti.

"I need help with Grace," Henry murmured. He and the mad hatter's daughter had been dating for two years and everything was starting to fall apart. They argued a lot and it seemed there was always some sort of misunderstanding. He quickly explained this to his father who only shook his head and sighed.

"Look, are you sure you want to talk to me about this? It took me thirteen years to win your mother back," Neal said.

"But your my Dad, you always know what to do," Henry answered.

Neal sighed, this kid was persuasive. "Okay, okay. What started all of this?"

"What do you mean," Henry asked.

"Dude, there's always something that starts all of it. It's a chain reaction." Henry nodded at his father's words and ran a hand through his mop of brown hair. What did he do? What had happened to them?

Suddenly, it clicked. "I stood her up."

"Son, I love you, but you're an idiot," Neal told the teenager before ruffling his hair.

"It's not my fault though! You and grandpa needed help-"

"Did you call her to let her know the deal,' Neal asked. "You could've told us you had plans or told her something came up."

"I guess your right…so what do I do, Dad," Henry asked.

"Something big. Something that'll remind her that she is special to her," Neal answered.

Henry nodded and slowly a grin began to spread across his face. The boy stood up and picked up his plate to go clean it off in the sink. Before doing so, he patted his father on the back and said, "I'll do that. Thanks Dad." However, this big gesture didn't happen the next week, or the week after that, or the month after that. Then Thanksgiving came and Grace and Henry were still on shaky ground.

For Thanksgiving, Emma, Neal, Henry, David, Mary-Margret, Belle, Mr. Gold, Hook and Regina went to a small party that Granny and Red were throwing at the diner. It seemed as if the whole town was there. That included Grace and her Papa.

Grace shook the early snow flurries off her winter coat and hung it up. "Hey Henry, there's your girl," Neal said as he nudged his son towards the pretty brunette.

Henry ran up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "Happy Turkey Day."

She gave a soft chuckle in response, "Happy Thanksgiving."

The rest of the evening went smoothly. The two of them were sweet and playful while being respectful in front of their families. No one knew it was about to take as bad a turn as this.

Jefferson walked up behind his daughter and placed a kiss on the back of her head, "Happy birthday, baby."

"Thank you, Papa," she whispered with a shy smile.

"It's your birthday," Henry asked in surprise. Grace raised an eyebrow. Did he really just say that? Did he seriously just ask her, his girlfriend, if today really was her birthday? Jefferson gave Henry the same look. For being the first person to realize they were all under a curse he sure is stupid. Quickly, the man backed away to visit with his lady friend across the room. Neal mentally winced, had he taught his son nothing. Emma felt the same. "I forgot again, didn't I?" Grace nodded. "I'm sorry."

She sighed, "It's okay," Grace then looked up at the clock then at Henry, "I've got to go." She then gave him a peck on the cheek. "Bye Henry, bye everyone," Grace said before leaving.

The tone of her voice, the look on her face, her whole body language; it showed that she wasn't okay. "Mom, Dad, can I be excused."

"Ask your Mom," Neal said, gesturing towards Emma.

"Please Mom," he begged.

"Okay," she agreed, "but if you plan on going home, come back to tell us."

"Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad," he said before running out of the restaurant. He then ran hard and fast after Grace, calling her name over when he found her. When she finally came to a stop, Henry gave her hug. "Grace, I'm so sorry-"

She pulled out of his arms and whispered for him to stop. Whenever his strong arms were around her she melted like butter whether she wanted to or not. It's time for her to stop running her wheels and dragging herself through a nightmare. "Just stop. I-You're not sorry, are you?" She said this in the softest tone with so much hurt that it was heartbreaking.

"What do you mean," he asked, "Of course I'm sorry."

"Then why do you keep doing this to me?"

"Doing what?"

"Forgetting. You keep forgetting about me," she said, tears stinging her eyes.

"Grace, that's not true," Henry reasoned, but she still didn't believe him.

"Henry, this, us, it's all falling apart," Grace said. "You're always busy and….I'm alone."

"Aw c'mon Grace, now you're just being stupid," Henry whined.

"I'm being stupid? I guess that's okay since I've been feeling stupid the last few months waiting on a guy that never was going to show up."

"Grace," Henry said, anger edging into his voice, "you're being selfish. You know something came up every time. It was never on purpose."

"I'm being selfish," she repeated which caused Henry to nod. "Tell me something. Tell me that you tried to call me and couldn't get a hold of me. Tell me that you made an effort to get to me and I'll never bring it up again. I'll be the good little girlfriend that never questions a thing you do and even walk back to Thanksgiving on your arm with a smile to match. Henry, look me in the eyes and tell me that and I'll do it." Her brown eyes were staring intently and Henry couldn't even muster a lie even if he wanted to. Grace sighed. What happened to her Henry? The sweet boy that was too charming to resist. The one that told her she was the only one for him. What happened to him?

Silence followed. Grace looked up at the sky wishing her head was as clear as it. Not a single cloud over head. Suddenly, through the cluttered thoughts that were going on in her own head, a single thought rang out. _Don't make someone a priority when they make you an option. _Yes, she understood that Henry couldn't put his life on hold for her. He had a family and responsibilities to fulfill same as her. But, he still mattered to her. Through all the craziness in her life she somehow was still there for him. She remembered every birthday, holiday and was on time for dates. She didn't expect him to remember every little thing; but there's some stuff that he should remember. "This is pointless," Grace said quietly.

"Thank you, finally! C'mon let's go back and see if Granny saved any cranberry sauce for us," he said while taking her hand and trying to drag her back. Grace pulled her hand away and stayed rooted to her spot.

"I didn't mean this conversation Henry," she said, dark brown eyes looking into his. A shiver went down his spine. She wasn't looking at his face, she was looking deeper; she was practically looking past him.

"Grace," he whispered heartbrokenly.

"You have a life to live and when you're older and we're back home you'll have a country to lead. This kills me Henry, you know I," she stopped herself before she said the dreaded l-word. That would only make things worse. "If we can't depend on each other now, and make time for one another, what will happen when we're older? I want someone I can love with everything I have and he'll love me back. I don't want to be someone's option," her voice was breaking.

"No. I need you. I want you. Please, please Grace, don't leave me like this," Henry begged. "I can't be with anyone else but you."

Grace smiled sadly. As always, Henry was reading her mind. Yes, each and every time they fought those were the words that were on her lips. Those were the words that were dying on her lips now. She couldn't say them now. This was what's best for the both of them. "Henry. That's not true. Our short little lives haven't left the path they will tread," yes, of course, quote your favorite song, "Henry. We were meant to be. We just weren't meant to last. We're just lessons for each other."

"Don't talk like that," he said firmly. "There's no one else but you. I don't care about other girls, I care about you." Henry took a step towards her and whispered, "I love you, not them."

"I love you too. You're my first love. I'll always love you," a stubborn tear escaped her eye, "but if you really love me as much as I love you, then you'll let me go."

"But-"

"Please Henry."

He sighed and nodded. He didn't want to let her go. Grace was his first crush, his first kiss, his first slow dance with a girl his age, his first girlfriend and his first love. How do you let someone so special go? But he couldn't say no. Not to her. He placed a soft kiss on her tear stained cheek and said his goodbye before walking backwards away from her. "This is the hardest 360 I'll ever make," he said before taking a few more reversed steps then turning away.

That night, his father sat down and talked to him. Henry told him what happened, but not everything. He portrayed it as the casual, no strings attached, break up. Neal just ruffled his hair and promised him it would all be okay and told him the same cheesy line about how there's always more fish in the sea. However, before leaving he added one more thing to the phrase. "But, you keep fighting until it really is time to cut the line." This sparked an idea, one that had flickered out months ago. A big gesture to remind her that he cared. After days of careful planning, Henry slipped off into the night to set up his plan in motion for the next day.

And the next day Neal and Emma had to pick Henry up early from school. Apparently he had gotten in trouble for truancy, breaking and entering, threatening a student, public display of affection and disrupting the classroom environment. After begging the principle to not kick their son out of high school and promising he'd never do it again they dragged their son to the parking lot. "Kid, what did you do," Emma groaned.

"A big gesture," Henry said, looking at his father.

"Dude, I meant, do something like stand outside her window with a boom box not practically get yourself kicked out of school," Neal groaned.

"What exactly did you do anyway," Emma asked.

He rolled his eyes and dully answered back, "I broke into the school's office, set the P.A system would play Grace's favorite song at 8: 15, and stood outside her classroom window with a few signs…."

"What kind of signs," Neal asked.

"Each one had a date and said what happened on each date. First date, first kiss, first dance; stuff like that," the teen explained.

"What about threatening a student," Emma questioned.

Henry rolled his eyes, "That's just the principle over reacting. She thought because of the song I chose I was threatening Grace."

"Why would she think that?"

"Because one of the lines is 'I'll come back to haunt you.'"

"Ah," she said in understanding.

"What about PDA," Neal questioned his son further.

Henry raised an eyebrow. Did he honestly have to spell it out for them? "Do you really want to know?"

"I guess not."

"I thought so." Though he did have to smirk a little; despite all the trouble, today was truly worth it.


End file.
